Sound Beginnings:An Integrated Model for

Educational &Clinical Services

K. Todd Houston, PhD

Assistant Professor

Director, Graduate Studies Program in Auditory Learning & Spoken Language

Dept. of Communicative Disorders & Deaf Education

Utah State University

Acknowledgement

� Children with hearing loss are NOT a homogeneous

group. Therefore, due to a number of factors, a single

communication methodology isn’t appropriate for all

children with hearing loss.

�� HOWEVERHOWEVER, because of changes in the field of deafness

and enhancements in hearing technology and

intervention/educational strategies, an increasing

number of children with hearing loss are now learning to

listen and talk.

� This presentation will focus on these trends.

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Learning Objectives

� Discuss the challenges to deliver integrated, family-

centered services to children with hearing loss and their

families.

� Discuss the needed competencies for practitioners

working with young children with hearing loss and their

families.

� Review an overview of the Sound Beginnings, a

transdisciplinary model to provide services to children &

families AND train graduate students in Audiology, Early

Childhood Special Education/Deaf Education, and

Speech-Language Pathology.

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Definitions

� Multidisciplinary

� Separate evaluations & assessments;

independently set & implement own intervention

plans.

� Interdisciplinary

� Interaction among team members to assess &

implement plan; team determines best method for

service delivery.

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Definitions

� Transdisciplinary

� Interventionist fulfilling multiple roles; careful

coordination & ongoing communication with

other service providers; performing tasks

collaboratively by sharing not only information,

but roles.

� Reality: Most programs of excellence will use a

combination of these teaming strategies to meet

the individual needs of each child & family.

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Service Provision Goal

� To provide all infants and young children with

hearing loss and their families with services

that are:

� Timely

� Comprehensive

� Coordinated

� Effective

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EHDI Service Continuum

� Newborn Screening� Diagnostic Assessment� Medical Referrals� Amplification Fitting� Cochlear Implantation (If applicable)� Early Intervention Services� Early Childhood Education/Preschool

Parent/family education, support, and involvement is embedded throughout the process

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Stakeholders

� Family/Parents/Caregivers

� Hospital nursery staff� Screening

� Physicians� Medical home/assessment/monitoring

� Audiologists� Screening/assessment/amplification/intervention

� Early interventionists� Developmental intervention (e.g.; PT, OT, DT)

� Educators of the Deaf/Early Childhood Educators� Intervention, education

� Speech-language pathologists� Speech-language intervention

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Current Status

� >95% of infants in the United States are

screened for hearing loss prior to hospital

discharge

� 41 states mandate NHS

60% of infants referred from newborn screening may be lost to follow-up (CDC)

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Service Delivery Challenges

� Availability of professionals with appropriate knowledge

& skills

� SLP, AUD, DE/EI

� Communication between stakeholders

� Stakeholder knowledge of best and/or current practices

� Timeliness of service delivery

� Frequency & intensity of service delivery

� Knowledge of family-centered practices from EHDI

through EI and into preschool

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Personnel Preparation - Challenges

� Knowledge and Skills in working with Infants and Young Children with Hearing Loss

� Shortage of professionals with specialized expertise,

especially in auditory learning & spoken language

� Few university programs providing specialized training

� Few university programs incorporate interdisciplinary

or transdisciplinary teaming

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Implications for Graduate Training – Retention in Field

� Lack of family-centered training

� Meeting the needs of infant/toddler population

� Disconnect between education and practice

� Self-contained vs. itinerant and/or resource teaching

� Multicultural & diversity needs of families

� Multiple disabilities/varying learning needs of the children

� Understanding & integrating current hearing technology

� Disconnect between “teaching speech” vs. facilitating language through listening/audition (developmentally)

� Need for ongoing staff development/lifelong learning/mentoring

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� Sound Beginnings recognizes that each

infant and family is unique, and parents are

their child’s primary teachers. As such,

family-centered services are guided by parent

needs and choices. An interdisciplinary team

working in a coordinated effort supports the

family by providing timely, comprehensive,

and effective services.

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Philosophy

Sound Beginnings offers a full range of

services:

� Audiological assessment

� Amplification & cochlear implant mapping

� Speech-language assessment &

individualized pull-out therapy

� Parent Participation & Training Sessions

� Instruction in Listening & Spoken Language

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Service Components

Educational Service Components

� Parent-infant program

� Home-based

� Toddler group

� Twice per week

� Preschool

� Five days per week

� Parent seminars

� Monthly

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� Practicum Site for Graduate Programs

� Audiology

� Speech-Language Pathology

� Early Childhood Special Education/Deaf Education

� Center of Excellence/Model Program to be replicated in other areas & at other universities

� University – provides a range of resources

� Lab School on campus (music, art, library, PE)

� College of Education & Human Services – continuous

improvement model17

Educational Components

Integrated Practicum Site

� Intensive practicum experiences

� Home-based Services

� Language Groups (Teaming)

� Pull-Out Therapy

� Individualized listening & spoken language intervention

� Parent Participation & Training

� Push-In Teaching/Intervention

� Cooperative Learning

� Teaming with AUDs, SLPs, ECSE/DE

� Transdisciplinary/Cross-Training

Sound Beginnings

Successes

� Recruiting

children/families

� Space – contained in

Edith Bowen Lab School

� Range of related/support

services, including CI

programming onsite

� New building

� Growing reputation in

region

Challenges

� Space – “guest in

someone else’s home”

� Staffing – finding qualified

teachers/clinicians

� Only 1 CI program in

state

� Scheduling – managing

multiple factors impacting

all schedules

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Guidelines & Position Statements

� Joint Committee on Infant Hearing Year 2007

Position Statement

� State EHDI Guidelines

� American Speech-Language-Hearing

Association (2004). Guidelines for the

audiologic assessment of children birth to 5

years of age

� American Academy of Audiology Pediatric

Amplification Protocol (2003)20

Guidelines & Position Statements

� American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

(1992). Sedation and topical anesthetics in audiology

and speech-language pathology. Asha, 34 (March Suppl.

7), 41-42.

� American College of Medical Genetics (2002): Genetics

evaluation guidelines for the etiologic diagnosis of

congenital hearing loss. Genetics in medicine, 4 (3), 162-

171.

� Academy for Listening & Spoken Language, Alexander

Graham Bell Association for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing

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Guidelines & Position Statements

� Alexander Graham Bell Early Intervention Best Practice Model

� The National Agenda: Moving Forward on Achieving Educational Equality for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students (April 2005) Goal One: Early Identification and Intervention

� Report and Recommendations of the 2004 National Consensus Conference on Effective Educational and Health Care Intervention for Infants and Young Children with Hearing Loss

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Our Motivation!

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Thank you for listening!

K. Todd Houston, PhD

todd.houston@usu.edu

www.auditorylearning.usu.edu

Graduate Studies Program in

Auditory Learning & Spoken Language

Department of Communicative

Disorders & Deaf Education

Utah State University

Facebook Group: Graduate Studies Program in Auditory

Learning & Spoken Language

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